Arizona

I spent three years of my life in north central Arizona. Three short years reside in my mind as a feeling more like the span of a lifetime. Prescott, Arizona was the land I called home, however during this time through my studies at Prescott College, I had many opportunities to travel to the most remote areas of the state and surrounding southwest region. There is no better way to share with my viewers the emotion and wonder that this place embodies than to share with you selected excerpts from my journal...

10/10/03
I love being back in the canyon, the views are amazing in every direction. The canyon walls, standing grande and stoic, feel as though they are here to embrace me, however, I know I am here to embrace them. Tonight is the full moon; I’ve spent the past three full moons sleeping beneath the stars. If there were a word of choice these days to describe life and my experience it would be stellar. Today was another stellar day; heavenly. I love waking up to the golden glow of the sun on the face of a canyon and watching from my cozy sleeping bag as the sunlight travels down the canyon face slowly reaching camp.

Today we went for a day-hike about four miles away from camp. We spent three hours on the side of a canyon on a ledge that gave shade. At one point after lunch we all left the shade of the ledge and hiked down about 100 feet to a rock outcropping on the edge of the canyon, I spent time sitting on the rock outcropping gazing at the surrounding canyon and mesas. Many of the tall formations are named after Hindu gods and goddesses, I photographed a number of them around us. As I sat there gazing at the large rock formations I was taken over by emotion – I had a moment where I thought about how surreal the rock appears, I sit and stare at the motionless mountain just waiting for it to do something, anything, but it does not animate. Instead this massive beauty embraces me with its stillness and soon I am still as well.